Happy Halloween!
Although not all of the albums below are exactly horror-inspired (really only one of them is), I can promise you they’re all worth blasting on a day like today. It’s all death metal of one kind or another below, so get your shovels ready, it’s time to start digging for riffs!
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Burned In Effigy – Tyrannus Aeternum
Entrancing, all-enveloping melodic death metal reminiscent of Nocturnal-era Black Dahlia Murder but with a melodic approach akin to Character-era Dark Tranquility. Come for the riffs, stay for the grooves!
Stream: Apple Music
Tyrannus Aeternum by Burned In Effigy
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Chained to the Dead – Something Happened On The Way To Hell
And now for a record that was totally made for today! Blood! Guts! Horror! Sleaze! Let’s go!!! Absolutely crushing death metal — bolstered by the powerful production provided by Kevin Antreassian. If you want some gory death served on proper fine china, order up another helping of this.
Stream: Apple Music
Something Happened On The Way To Hell by CHAINED TO THE DEAD
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Despised Icon – Shadow Work
The best deathcore band of all time returns! Shadow Work (love the Carl Jung–inspired album title, by the way) continues the trajectory the band has been on since its glorious return in 2016, but starts to lean in a more melodic and groovy direction. In this way, the band is starting to evolve into more of a early-to-mid-2000s metalcore band. I dig it! It allows the band to remain recognizable as Despised Icon while making an album that stands apart from the rest of the catalog.
Stream: Apple Music
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Heteropsy – Embalming
Excellent, crunchy death metal in the tradition of Dismember, with a touch of doom to make it extra interesting. I love the band’s use of melody here, as it’s the perfect complement to the HM-2-pedal guitar sound, which keeps the listener engaged and wondering what’s going to happen next. The band also displays an excellent sense for mixing different tempos to create dramatic effect. Don’t complete your death metal lists for 2025 without checking out this album.
Stream: Apple Music
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Runemagick – Cycle Of The Dying Sun
Runemagick‘s energetic form of death-doom never gets old. Or if it does, you might say it ages like the finest mead served at the halls of Valhalla. And since we’re already on our 14th cup, we might as well drink up!
Stream: Apple Music
Cycle Of The Dying Sun (Dawn Of Ashen Realms) by RUNEMAGICK
The post Five For Friday: October 31, 2025 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.